Zhou Wang didn’t really care; he just looked a few more times out of curiosity. The reason for his indifference was partly because he had no interest in foreign wine, and partly because, what’s the big deal about 1.8 million?
At this point, he could certainly afford it...
After Chen He snapped out of it, he took out his phone and snapped a few photos. Only then did the group continue forward under the guidance of the server.
Perhaps noticing Chen He’s intense interest, the server introduced them to a couple of other places. They saw a statue purchased at an auction for over 2 million, and a dish cover supposedly once used by the last King of France, Louis Philippe, valued at over 5 million.
(The image below shows, from left to right, the 1.8 million wine, the 5 million dish cover, and the 2 million statue... The statue is placed in a very dark area, so it’s hard to see clearly.)
"Is this a Western restaurant or a museum exhibit?"
Chen He couldn’t help but quip in amazement.
"These are all the owner’s private collections. Since the Western restaurant was opening, he just moved them here for decoration."
The server replied with a smile.
After intentionally leading the three on a tour of the interior, they returned to the place where the XO wine was displayed; their dining table was right behind the XO wine exhibit.
When the server brought the menu, Chen He flipped through it quickly and then consulted Zhou Wang:
"Um... Mr. Zhou, I don’t usually eat Western food that much. I was planning to just go with this 1,688 per person set meal. What do you think?"
"No need, the set meal is fine."
Zhou Wang waved his hand and then looked slightly surprised, "Then it seems their prices aren’t that expensive..."
Over a thousand per person isn’t expensive?
Chen He silently complained, but also breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, even if Zhou Wang really ordered à la carte, it wouldn’t matter much; the prices of dishes wouldn’t be extremely outrageous.
But the price of the alcohol could become uncontrollable...
Before booking this restaurant, Chen He had done some research. Po Restaurant was actually most famous for its "million-dollar wine list," which featured wines priced from thousands to tens of thousands, and someone like Zhou Wang probably wouldn’t care too much about the cost. If Zhou Wang casually ordered a bottle worth six figures, it would be quite awkward.
But the advantage of the set meal was that it included three wines to choose from.
Without consulting Ji Xiaoxi, Chen He opted for a white wine called "Riesling" after asking Zhou Wang.
"I don’t feel like drinking today..."
Ji Xiaoxi frowned, shaking her head.
"It’s okay, Xiaoxi. Let’s just have a little today because it’s such a happy occasion. This wine is only 10% alcohol, it won’t get you drunk, and it has a peach flavor that you’ll love..."
Chen He said with a smile, "Besides, it’s included in the set meal, so you should just try it!"
Listening to her boyfriend’s earnest persuasion, Ji Xiaoxi could only remain silent.
The seats for the three were arranged in a triangular shape, with Zhou Wang and Ji Xiaoxi facing each other and Chen He sitting between them.
What Zhou Wang found amusing was that, after their initial meeting, since entering the restaurant, Ji Xiaoxi hadn’t made eye contact with him again, seeming to pretend that he didn’t exist.
Zhou Wang glanced at the countdown, which showed only ten minutes until the "engagement started," and felt rather eager.
It wasn’t that he had to act cocky; it just felt like a spice in an ordinary life. In a deeper sense, it was like achieving something for the first time...
"Growing bent" was also a kind of growth.
Zhou Wang didn’t have the energy to chat with Chen He, who kept trying to find topics. He responded with perfunctory "uh-huh" and "oh," while casually reaching into his pocket for a cigarette to light up.
"Mr. Zhou, is that cigarette by any chance the Fuchun Mountain Residence of Liqun?"
"Yeah, have you tried it?"
Zhou Wang didn’t expect this to become a topic for Chen He and could only shake his head with a smile, responding casually.
"I’ve seen it at a friend’s place... I’ve already quit smoking because Xiaoxi doesn’t like the smell of it."
Facing his girlfriend’s surprised gaze, Chen He quickly explained.
"You’re really a good guy, always thinking of your girlfriend."
Zhou Wang remarked with a meaningful smile.
At this moment, Ji Xiaoxi seemed to recall something as well, and her gaze softened when looking at Chen He. She even helped Chen He adjust his collar, making Chen He chuckle with an "hehe."
"Mr. Zhou, this cigarette must cost tens of thousands per carton, right?"
"Probably, I’m not really sure. It was a gift from someone."
Upon hearing Zhou Wang’s response, feelings of envy and desire arose once more in Chen He’s heart.
It wasn’t really because of the cigarette’s price. The 1.8 million wine was because it was outrageous, but a few thousand for cigarettes was relatively okay, at least within Chen He’s tolerable range.
Mainly it was due to what the cigarette symbolized.
First of all, it’s not something money alone can buy, and it turned out that someone even gifted it to Zhou Wang...
What’s this?
This was the "status" that Chen He dreamed of!
While the two were talking, Zhou Wang was just about to take out a lighter to light his cigarette when a server quickly approached: "Sir, I’m sorry, but you can’t smoke here. If you need to smoke, please head to the smoking area by the wine cellar..."
Zhou Wang was taken aback and then turned to look, "I thought I saw you have private rooms. Can you smoke in there?"
"The private rooms allow smoking..."
"Then let’s switch to a private room."
"Sir, unfortunately, the private rooms have long dining tables and are generally reserved for groups of eight or more."
"Can I order eight servings?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Zhou Wang’s serious tone, the server, who was obviously not used to such situations, was momentarily stunned.
"If the private room hasn’t been reserved, it shouldn’t matter, right?"
Zhou Wang simply smiled, "It doesn’t make a difference to you, you’ll still earn the same amount. I just want to buy some convenience."